Electric iron



May 11, 1954 D. c. GERBER ET AL 2,677,907

ELECTRIC IRON Filed July 26, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOH. 2 DaZe C. Gerber 9Z1 EZmer C. Bz'ngyeQ ATTORNEY.

y 1954 D. c. GERBER ET AL 2,677,907

ELECTRIC IRON 5 Sheets-She et 2 Filed July 26, 1950 INVENTO Dale (1 66 661 mer lBgnyyeg ATTORNEY.

y 11, 1954 D. c. GERBER ET AL 2,677,907

ELECTRIC IRON Filed July 26 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTO DaZe C. Gerber 5 EZmer C. Bz'zzyyZey ATTORNEY.

Patented May 11, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC IRON Dale 0. Gerber, North Binggely, Canton,

Hoover Company, North poration of Ohio Canton, and Elmer 0.

Ohio, assignors to The Canton, Ohio, a cor- This invention relates to electric sadirons and more particularly to a novel arrangement and construction of the operating handle and the temperature control dial with respect to the remainder of the iron.

To be effective and to perform the ironing task speedily, an electric iron should operate at a high temperature range, it being understood that this range includes the relatively lower temperatures for certain fabrics such as rayon and silk and the relatively higher temperatures for linens and woolens. Of necessity, these operating ternperatures are maintained in a zone very close to the operators hand. Many attempts have been made to confine these high temperatures to the immediate vicinity of the sole plate and to maintain a cool zone thereabove for the comfort of the operator. Typical of the various expedients resorted to is the use of heat insulating material between the sole plate and the cover shell; spaced and air ventilated horizontal fins between the sole plate and the operating handle; and power driven fans to circulate cooling air in the area about the handle. While these expedients have met with some success, they are all subject to numerous disadvantages including complexity of construction, high cost, increased weight, service and maintenance diificulties.

Another deficiency of prior constructions is the hazard to the user from severe burns unavoidably inflicted while using the iron. Such burns are obtained in the majority of instances either when the operator grasps or removes her hand from the handle or attempts to adjust the temperature control and, in so doing, touches the hot cover shell.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive, rugged and novel construction which overcomes the aforementioned and other disadvantages of prior electric irons.

More specifically, it is an object to provide an iron in which the handle and temperature control are designed to perform their usual functions and additionally to divide the iron into a lower high temperature zone and an upper cool zone.

Another object is to provide an iron with a handle grip which is heat insulated from the iron body without the use of parts in addition to those heretofore used in constructing irons lackproved temperature control dial affording great convenience to the operator, and which is not only an effective heat barrier for the handle grip but which is designed to provide a positive safeguard against burning the operators fingers.

Still another object is to provide a novel temperature control dial having a new and more convenient arrangement of the indicia, which requires less effort to adjust and which can be manipulated with equal convenience from any adjusted position and without need for removing the hand from the handle grip.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification and illustrative drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of incorporating the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the iron;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view;

Figures 4 and 5 are side and top views respectively or a second embodiment of the invention.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our co-pending application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 695,394, filed September 7, 1946, for improvements in Electric Irons, which application has since been abandoned in favor or this application.

One preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figures 1 to 3. The iron comprises the usual sole plate It, a cover shell I l and an operating handle I 2. The operating handle, preferably made in one piece, includes a grip l3 supported by a forward leg i l and a rear leg iii. The large diameter temperature regulator dial it lies in closely spaced relation to the top of shell ii and will be described in greater detail below. The usual electric service cord I? is preferably supported by means of the usual strain relief in one face of rear handle leg it such as in the position shown in Figure 2. The cover shell I I extends rearwardly beyond the heel of the sole plate as indicated at it and its rearmost end cooperates with the rear end E9 of the handle grip to provide a broad base rest for the iron when it is not in use. A cover plate 26 is removably secured to the under side of projecting end It of the cover shell and permits access to the internal end of the service cord, as will be readily apparent from Figure 3.

While the internal construction of the iron may take many forms, one particularly simple and rugged construction is illustrated in detail in Figure 3. A generally U-shaped resistance lieating element ii is imbedded in the sole plate its terminals are positioned adjacent the heel of the sole plate in a convenient position to be con nected in circuit with the temperature regulator and the service cord.

A thermostatic temperature regulator device 22 is supported on the top surface of the sole an electric sadiron.

' nects switch leaf 21 with by means a nut 29 carried The bimetallic close as possible insulator button 6 of the control of the switch under- The position of leaf 2? relative to the control dial E5.

of a threaded by stationary arm 30 of the control assembly.

The lower end SE of enlarged opening in leaf 28 of bears against the upper carried by shaft shaft 28 passes side of leaf 2?. 23 and lug 33 carried by nut 23 through an the switch and Lug 32 serve to limit movement of shaft 28 between a position in which the switch is open regardless of the temperature of the iron and a limiting high temperature position of the regulator.

removably secured to the upper as by set screw as which is acce notch 35 in the rim of dial it.

Dial M is end of shaft 28 ssible through a P The forward end of the cover shell ii is secured to the sole plate as and screw 31, while the rear secured in place by a screw 38 mating with member 39 which is rigidly fixed to sole plate.

by a threaded stud 33 end is likewise the heel of the Handle 12 is preferably made as a one-piece molded plastic member and of a very low heat conductive prope ward and rear legs are provided bases contoured to conform to t material having rties.

with large area he adjacent periphery of the top of the cover shell and also to embrace the rim of the regulator dial. The lower ends of the legs are cavitated to reduce the weight and the heat conduc the legs. the front leg by a screw M ting capacity of A lug 4i] is secured in the cavity of while the opposite end of the lug is secured to the cover plate by a screw 42. A similar lug 43 has its top end secured to the top of the rear leg cavity, as by screw 44, while its lower end is shown as riveted to the top of the cover shell. The enclosed end of the through a large opening in service cord extends the rear top portion of the cover shell down into the space closed by cover plate 20.

One lead of the cord is connected to heating element 2i and the other lead is connected by wire static switch 22.

G is low which is substantially co-extensive [3, as clearly appears from side of handle grip 45 to lead 26 of the thermo- A third lead, not shown, conthe other end of the of the operating handle, the

made of molded heat conductive dial has a diameter which exer shell H and with the lower Figures 1 to 3. Projecting upwardly and outwardly from the rim portion of the dial are a plurality of closely spaced projections or ribs 48. a continuous circle. are so contoured and positioned the grip l3 as to be conveniently These projections are prefer ably arranged in It will be noted that the ribs with respect to grasped or contacted by the sides of the thumb and fingertips as the palm of the operators hand rests on the grip. Thus, the operators fing the projection on one side of the ers will contact dial at one side of the iron while the thumb will grip the dial projections on the opposite side It will also be observed of the iron.

from the drawings that the dial is provided with a horizontally extending flange 41 which extends radially beyond the pro- The forindicia 48 and rotates jections 46 and serves a plurality of functions. One of these is to provide a rest for the ends of the operators fingers while she is adjusting the dial. It also serves as a guard and safety device for preventing the operator from accidentally contacting the hot cover shell while adjusting the temperature regulator. Still another important function of flange 41 is to support large-type indicia which are readily readable by the operator at a distance from the iron and by means of which she can readily determine the particular temperature setting of the dial. Being at the extreme periphery of the dial, the indicia are directly opposite the stationary control indicia 48 which, as clearly shown in Figure 2, are located on the base of the front handle leg at a point offset from the center line of the iron so as to be readily visible to the operator. Since indicia 48 are located to one side of the handle grip, the operator can view them from her normal operating position clearly and without interference from the handle or from her fingers while grasping the grip.

It will therefore be readily appreciated that, by this novel arrangement, the operator always looks to one point when checking the position of the temperature regulator or when desiring to shift it to a new position. This location is, of course, the area in the vicinity of the stationary indicia 43. As shown in Figure 2, the dial is in the off position in which the thermostatic switch is open regardless of the tempera-- ture condition of the iron. If the operator de-- sires to iron silk, she observes the area adjacent the dial clockwise until the work Silk on flange 41 is opposite dot 38. This adjustment is most conveniently accomplished while the operator has the palm of her hand resting on the grip and while she is utilizing her thumb and fingers to grasp projections 48 on the opposite sides of the dial to rotate it in the direction desired.

It is also to be noted that flange 41 projects sufficiently to overlie the clearance gap between the bases of the handle legs and the lower rim portion of the dial. This projection serves to prevent direct radiant heat from the top of the cover shell being reflected to the handle grip and aids materially in maintaining the handle grip at a comfortable low operating temperature.

By reference to Figure 3, it will be noted that a spider spring N is interposed between the top of shell ll and the under side of dial 16. This spring provides a resilient support for the dial and protects the temperature regulator against injury by the application of too much pressure to one side of the dial.

Another embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 is generally similar to that just described and differs only in the design of the temperature regulator dial and the bases of the handle legs. The same or similar elements to those of the first described embodiment are indicated by like reference characters distinguished by a prime. The internal construction of the iron is identical with the first described embodiment. As clearly evident from Figures 4 and 5, the temperature control dial is slightly smaller in diameter due to the omission of the flange extending beyond projections 46. It will be noted that the dial indicia are carried inside the projections 46 and as close to the periphery of the dial as is conveniently possible. Since the dial does not extend laterally beyond the top edge portions of cover shell II it is unnecessary to provide the shell with side bulges underlying the projecting portion of the dial as is true of the first described embodiment.

Another distinction of the second embodiment is that the bases of the handle legs project further toward the center of the iron in order to closely embrace the rim of the smaller diameter dial. These bases, together with the dial, overlie the entire top surface of the cover shell and provide a very efiicient heat barrier against the transmission of heat from the sole plate and cover shell to the grip of the operating handle.

As is clearly evident from Figure 4, the finger contacting edges of projections 46 are spaced at a considerable distance above the top of the cover shell and this fact, together with the large diameter of the dial, renders it difiicult if not impossible for the operator to contact the hot cover shell with the fingertips when adjusting the dial. This is especially true if the operator keeps the palm of her hand on the top of the grip while making the adjustment.

From the foregoing detailed description of two illustrative embodiments of the invention it will be readily apparent that an unusually simple and rugged construction has been disclosed having many unique features and in which each of the several principal parts has multiple, mutually coperative functions. Both the operating handle and the temperature of heat insulating material, cooperate with one another and with the remaining iron structure to provide an unusually efiective heat barrier isolating the high temperatures of the sole plate from the operating zone spaced immediately above the top of the cover shell. The spacing of the handle legs at the under side of the dial slightly above the top of the cover shell together with the small cross-sectional area of the metallic supporting elements connecting the handle and the dial to the remainder of the iron additionally contribute to the heat insulating characteristics of the construotion and the ability or the novel arrangement to separate the iron into a relativel high temperature zone below the top of the cover shell and a relatively cool and comfortable zone above the cover shell.

It is also obvious that the operator may regulate the temperature control very quickly without operating any danger of burning her hand and without removing her hand from the handle grip.

While we have shown and described but two embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that these embodiments are to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

We do not wish to be limited to the particular structures shown and described, but to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

We claim:

1. The combination with an electric sad iron of the type having a sole plate, a heating element, a cover shell for said sole plate, an adjustable thermostatic temperature regulator connected in regulator dial, being made circuit with said heating element, of an operating handle for said iron having a grip supported between forward and rear legs, a control dial for said temperature regulator, said dial being formed rimarily of heat insulating material and having a diameter extending substantially from side to side of said cover shell and from the inner face of said rear handle leg to the inner face of said forward handle leg and underlying substantially the full length of the lower face of said grip, the peripheral area of said dial being provided with an annular row of closely spaced elements projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the body of said dial and said handle legs being constructed and arranged with large area bases shaped to embrace the adjacent rim portions of said dial and to cooperate therewith to overlie substantially the entire top area of said cover shell to provide a substantially continuous heat barrier between said shell and said handle grip.

2. In an electric sad iron, an iron body, a handle attached to said body, a control dial above the top of said body for adjusting a thermostat shaft in said body, said handle having a hand grip and spaced supporting legs for positioning said hand grip above said body, said supporting legs having large area bases adjacent to the top of said body and projecting toward each other and terminating for their full width in arcuate faces spaced from each other to substantially define therebetween a circular opening for said control dial, said dial disposed in said opening between said arcuate faces and above the top of said body and having its peripheral edge contiguous to said arcuate surfaces, said handle bases and control dial cooperating to overlie substantially the entire top area of said body and being formed of heat insulating material to provide a substantially continuous heat insulating barrier which covers the top of said iron body between said handle bases to protect the hand grip from heat emanating from said iron body.

3. An electric sad iron as defined in claim 2 wherein said control dial has indicia distributed along the peripheral area thereof, a stationary indicia mark on said iron adjacent the rim of said dial, said stationary indicia being at the forward rim of said control dial and laterally oifset to one side of said hand grip so as to be visually observable by the operator from a vantage point substantially directly above said hand grip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

